Ashanali

Becandarch - you read my mind! I was coming to give you some feedback. These photos are awesome and you are definitely on the right track. Your painting technique seems to be spot on so I wouldn't change that, so you need to let your camera allow more light in. I would open your aperture more OR lengthen the amount of time you are exposing for. Try both techniques, one at a time, to find what give you the better result. If your aperture is currently 22, open it up to 16 or even 11 If your exposure is currently 12 seconds extend it to 15 or 20 seconds Black Magic - great shots for a first attempt particularly when you haven't had your camera for very long! Hope to see more from you in the challenges. ;) Your comments about the information I give are appreciated. Alex and I are actually putting together a one day lighting workshop for beginners and hope to go through Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and maybe Adelaide with it. Feedback like yours gives us a little more confidence that we are on the right track. :D Lea - don't listen to Blab . You're doing a great job and I'm totally jealous that you have such a willing model. ;) Great results everyone I think this is my favourite month so far!

The pears have come up well

This is the shot that I cleaned up slightly. I have taken out some lines from the light and ever so slightly burnt in down the left of the image to even up with the right side. Then this is a worked version with a texture added over the top. I'm happy with this result. Sitting completely still for 12 seconds isn't an easy feat for a 10 year old!

It took alot of convincing but I managed to get one of my older boys to pose for three photos for me. They were all 12 second exposures but he didn't realised he couldn't move so the first one was a write off. The second he was still but I wasn't overly happy with the lighting The third has great lighting but he has a bit of movement and is too soft. I couldn't convince him to go for a fourth photos He was patient enough for a 10 year old. Will post the result soon.

A little from column A and a little from column B. They are very intelligent and will work things out fast - none of mine have had formal training but they know they aren't welcome in the house or car unless invited (front door will be wide open and they will wait outside - this doesn't count for Kayo who is still learning the rules) and Sunni can be left in a crate with the door wide open and won't step out unless you put a lead around her neck. The one pointer that I tried obedience and agility with many years ago was a very quick learner. The battle with him was to keep his focus as any movement or scents that were interesting and he would completely forget what was asked of him. If you could keep his focus, he was brilliant! Essentially they are extremely eager to please and HATE correction (correct a pointer and it's as if the world is crumbling around them. It's all an act but they do it so well. ) - Pointers will try very hard to make you happy!

No, it isn't common.

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) owner, breeder, exhibitor 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? (google is my friend. I'm sick at the moment and not making much sense - easier to cut and paste the relevant stuff) The Pointer originates in England. It was bred to 'point' out small game to hunters, such as rabbit and hare and later, birds. It's origins can be dated back to the 1600's The Pointer is also referred to as the English Pointer. Most of the development of the English Pointer was undertaken by the breeder William Arkwright at the end if the 18th century. An excellent locator, the Pointer was crossed with the old Spanish Pointer and a lighter-boned variety of Foxhound, Greyhounds, Bloodhounds and Spaniels providing a combination of speed and setting skills. Crosses with setters gave a more receptive response to training and made them less inclined to try to catch the game. In the early 1700's, wing shooting, the act or practice of shooting at game birds in flight, came into fashion. The Pointer proved to be an exceptional dog for wing shooting and Pointers became popular for recreational hunting on large, wealthy estates. Two pointers, referred to as a brace, were generally used so that the hunter could locate the bird precisely by cross-referencing the dogs ' points '. The first dog show held in Australia was for Pointers and Setters only (not sure of the year). 3. How common is it in Australia? Not common at all and it's a shock when people recognise the breed. They are slowly building a good reputation as a family dog. 4. What is the average lifespan? 12 years 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Alert, eager to please, can be sooky and can be attention seekers. A generally happy dog. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Pointers NEED daily exercise and without it they go crazy. At least 30 minutes of activity in the morning and at least an hour in the afternoon/evening. Pointers love their zoomy time and without it can become destructive. If you can't get outside due to bad weather etc, you will need to find an indoor game for brain activity instead. (a popular indoor game is hiding toys and letting pointers find them. They have an extremely acute sense of smell.) 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? Yes and no. A relaxed and easy going pointer could easily be handled by a first timer, some more energetic and intelligent dogs take a bit more effort. A good breeder should be able to match the right puppy with the right home. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? Again this depends on the dog. Pointers love company and if they are alone for long periods some of them will become destructive (digging, chewing, escaping). Most pointers are happiest when sitting at your feet or even on your lap. 9. How much grooming is required? very little. Nails and a bath every now and then. However even though they are smooth coated dogs, they have a dense double coat and you really need to get right in and scrub to get the dirt out. They also drop alot more hair than people realise. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? Younger Pointers can be too boisterous but not necessarily. Out of all the breeds I've been involved with over the years, I have found Pointers and Greyhounds to be the best and most reliable with children. Even now our 10 month old feral pointer loves my 14 month old twin boys and is surprisingly gentle with them. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? Yes. Unfortunately Pointers can have health issues that can't be tested for at this point in time (hopefully with all the advances happening this will change sometime in the future.) The issues are becoming less common but there is always a chance of them appearing in the lines. Epilepsy - this can rear it's head from time to time, usually starting when the dog is around 3-4 years of age. Dwarfism - shows up in pups around 5 weeks of age Pancreatic issues Thyroid issues Pointers rarely have hip/elbow issues. 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) I think the most important thing is to view the parents of the pup (where possible). Some pointers are shy, some are happy and outgoing and all these are fine, but overtly aggressive or fearful pointers should be avoided at all costs.

There is some amazing work coming out of this thread already. Well done everyone! Very impressed

It's not my group. My pics were invited though.

Here's a flickr group! http://www.flickr.com/groups/stilllifeinlightpainting/pool/

Nah.. he threw the banana off the table then brushed his hands.

I had a very exciting night

Okay... this will take a bit to post the whole series. This was my very first shot and I totally fluked it. So I wanted to have a few more goes but the only other subject I had was the kids bionocle toys... I figured I could have a little fun more to follow...

Well done Kirislin I have been playing around with a bowl of fruit and my kids bionocles Just downloading them now

the youtube video that's been posted is the most relevant I can find. There were a couple of others on youtube that explained it briefly but didn't show you how to do it or show you a finished product. A bit frustrating.

vickie - well done for a first go! as for me putting my samples up... I would but I don't know where they are stored on the computer. There is actually a semi-nude photo of me when pregnant that is on our website. It was painted with light (which is why I have a funny expression on my face - it was a 20 second exposure). I might have to have a go at this again one night just to make everyone feel better with how much I suck

Before I had my dane I did lots of research and asked around about bloat. The camps are divided on whether to raise the bowls for feeding or not - some information will state cases of bloat occuring from raised feeding saying that it isn't natural for the dog to eat in that position, some information will state that having the food on the ground means the dog will gulp when eating meaning a higher chance of bloat occurring. One thing that I did find was that diet played a huge part in it and cheaper grain based foods appeared to be a huge 'NO' when it came to feeding danes. The height of the bowl didn't really matter with Hoshi... he would sit like a sphinx with the bowl between his legs to eat. but more experienced Dane people will be able to give more detailed information than me.

For the people who are getting really blown out images you have a few options. Move back further when painting. The closer you are to your subject, the stronger the light is that is falling on them - move away and the light is weaker put your ISO down to the smallest number possible. Some cameras this will be ISO 50, for others this could be ISO 400. Whatever the smallest number is, you want it! Close your aperture right down as far as it will go. For some this will be F22 for others it could be F32. The biggest number is what you want. Buy a smaller torch from a $2 shop that is quite weak. You don't need huge amounts of light as you should be 'painting' more than 'flooding'. If you have a larger torch, you could put some cardboard over the front and make the opening smaller so less light gets through OR grab an elastic band and some cooking paper and put it over the entire light to diffuse it a little. Ideally you want to paint for around 10 seconds to get the softer shadows and painterly effect. 5 seconds will be close... less than five seconds and you won't get the right effect. As I said at the start... this will be a month of frustration, but once you get it you will love it!

Vizsla, tlc and Cat - you've got the hang of it already. Now to refine it! Huga - I think I need to get my old pentax back from Blab and send it your way so you can play around and have some fun. I like your morning shot of Lola.

Great results vizsla Welcome to the challenge!

Yes, you have the right idea. It's all about exploring light and using it in an artistic way

I liked the edited versions of most of them... just they are a touch warm for me. (but only a touch). then again... I like photoshop

It's certainly addictive CM. You get that "ah crap!" frustration when you look at the back of the camera and it hasn't worked but then as you change settings and the results keep getting better and better you get more excited. Good work! Keep going! (I am waiting to see who is the first with a bowl of fruit. )

Internet speed is fast again! WOOHOO! We thought we had to wait until the third. Okay, great start by blab and rocco! Can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings.

July challenge has been launched :D